<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" findaidstatus="completed" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-ViMtvl"/><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper>Papers of Frances Abbott Lyon <num>A.FAL</num></titleproper><author>Rebecca Baird, archivist</author></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>Archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association</publisher><p><date>February 2024</date></p><address><addressline>PO Box 3600</addressline><addressline>Mount Vernon, VA 22121</addressline><addressline>Telephone: 703-799-3600</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="https://archives.mountvernon.org" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="https://archives.mountvernon.org" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2025-04-12 07:02:04 -0400</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English, Latin script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>Archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>Frances Abbott Lyon Papers</unittitle>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname rules="local" source="local">Lyon, Frances (Smokie) Abbott, 1924-2015</persname>
    </origination>
    <unitid>A.FAL</unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/resources/89</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">.2 Linear Feet</extent>
      <extent altrender="carrier">One Half Hollinger box</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1976/1983" type="inclusive">1976-1983</unitdate>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English</language>
.    </langmaterial>
  </did>
  <accessrestrict id="aspace_55c007d9444b503df1b9ed30e8ac82f9">
    <head>Conditions Governing Access</head>
<p>This collection is open for research during scheduled appointments. Researchers must complete the Washington Library's Special Collections and Archives Registration Form before access is provided. The library reserves the right to restrict access to certain items for preservation purposes.</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <arrangement id="aspace_f1201c910bcb7f4d8a6acda544b9c9a5">
    <head>Arrangement</head>
<p>Alphabetical by folder title</p>  </arrangement>
  <bioghist id="aspace_137e49a5e9ee89fab27795a66a9744af">
    <head>Biographical / Historical</head>
<p>Frances "Smokie" Abbott Lyon was born in Rome, Georgia on March 21, 1924. After growing up in South Carolina, she moved with her husband Jackson Miles Abbott, an Army Captain, to the Waynewood neighborhood of Alexandria, VA. Together they had four children and Mrs. Abbott (Lyon) became involved in the local community and its history. She served as chairman of the George Washington Birthnight Ball, as a member of the George Washington 250th Birthday Celebration Commission for Fairfax County, and on the steering committee that established the Neighborhood Friends of Historic Mount Vernon. Mrs. Abbott was the Librarian and Research Associate at Gadsby's Tavern Museum, contributing local history articles to the Alexandria Gazette. After the death of her first husband, she remarried in 1993 to Archibald (Archie) Lyon. She later moved to Charleston, South Carolina where she became very active in that community and in personal hobbies. Frances "Smokie" Abbott Lyon died on August 11, 2015.</p>  </bioghist>
  <prefercite id="aspace_ba74709adbba9fedc3f75116cb367491">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>[Name and date of item], Papers of Frances Abbott Lyon, [Folder], Archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon [hereafter Washington Library], Mount Vernon, Virginia</p>  </prefercite>
  <relatedmaterial id="aspace_346218267ab912b4c93b589e6aaf0e42">
    <head>Related Materials</head>
<p>Mount Vernon Citizens' Association Collection
George Washington Memorial Parkway History Collection</p>  </relatedmaterial>
  <userestrict id="aspace_bed5089578e08d50d604a6d1e838b61c">
    <head>Conditions Governing Use</head>
<p>Material can be reproduced for study or personal use upon written approval from library staff.</p>  </userestrict>
  <dsc><c id="aspace_691afaf0728e936b3a65abeba4196632" level="file"><did><unittitle>George Washington 250th Birthday Celebration Commission</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/archival_objects/37711</unitid><origination label="Creator"><persname rules="local" source="local">Lyon, Frances (Smokie) Abbott, 1924-2015</persname></origination><unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1981/1982" type="inclusive">1981-1982</unitdate><container id="aspace_3ac606a4c075bab28a9ad017af695c4a" label="Text" type="box">1</container></did></c><c id="aspace_1fd7aaff15b8730db85d20ada9fb5bf4" level="file"><did><unittitle>George Washington's 16-Sided Barn</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/archival_objects/37712</unitid><origination label="Creator"><persname rules="local" source="local">Lyon, Frances (Smokie) Abbott, 1924-2015</persname></origination><unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1980/1982" type="inclusive">1980-1982</unitdate><container id="aspace_978fa63b1d1f897931492c805961fc45" label="Text" type="box">1</container></did></c><c id="aspace_54cd3653f74a17e96b1853aba716794c" level="file"><did><unittitle>Mount Vernon Citizens' Association and play by Bernice Carter Davis</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/archival_objects/37716</unitid><origination label="Creator"><persname rules="local" source="local">Lyon, Frances (Smokie) Abbott, 1924-2015</persname></origination><origination label="Creator"><persname rules="local" source="local">Davis, Bernice Carter</persname></origination><unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1976/1983" type="inclusive">1976-1983</unitdate><container id="aspace_167a3a5929c23886207beaf45a3e7052" label="Text" type="box">1</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_c92bb7472ad35e5d00cd9186840faaf7"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Script for play entitled "A Man to Remember" by Bernice Carter Davis, 1976</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_4dd09a0a9ac4c33bd5ac7a6fcc93fb9c" level="file"><did><unittitle>Photographs</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/archival_objects/37717</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1982/1983" type="inclusive">1982-1983</unitdate><container id="aspace_2efee50370c4467f7519c8cc8ff65356" label="Graphic Materials" type="box">1</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_f68247ebbbac94ea98f5f049c260d54b"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>One black and white photo taken at the Birthnight Ball. One color print of a parade on the George Washington Memorial Parkway for the 250th birthday of Washington celebrations, 1982.</p></scopecontent><controlaccess><persname rules="local" source="local">Lyon, Frances (Smokie) Abbott, 1924-2015</persname></controlaccess></c></dsc>
</archdesc>
</ead>